That's How You Know
by Leap of Faith
Summary: Torn with heartache and determined never to believe or fall in love again, she left her home for a childhood playground where she could put on the façade of happiness. In need of a job and a place to hide, he came to the home to survive, never knowing th
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to their respective owners unless you don't recognize it, then it's mine. Disclaimer will be given only once, please get over it.

That's How You Know

~~*~~

Chapter One__

            She let her eyes roam round the room once more before snapping the lid to its base with two loud clicks. Walking to the bathroom, she glanced at her face in the mirror only to see the tear stain tracks on her cheeks, and the red rim of her eyes, staring out back at her tauntingly. Turning on the taps, she leaned over as if it were a chore and splashed the cold liquid over her pale face. She left the water to trickle down her face as she walked back into the bedroom, lifting the black case from the mattress and taking it to her side as she walked towards the knocking on the front door.

            She stared out at the clouds as the plane ran loudly at the fifty thousand feet altitude they flew at. She could hear the people chatting around her; the couple behind her exchanging their bittersweet newlywed kisses. Her eyes drooped as she fell into the slumber that would be fitful with memories of the past year and a half. The memory of him and the feelings she thought they had shared.

            Shaken awake, she was handed a piece of cloth by the old woman sitting next to her, her rheumy eyes gazing sadly and knowingly at her. She accepted the handkerchief with a small, sad smile and wiped her face dry from the dreams' tears. Holding it back out for the man, the woman just smiled and reclosed her hand about the kerchief with a mumbled "I've been in the same place, lass."

            She folded up the handkerchief and clasped it in her palm, smiling a small smile of thanks to the old woman as the plane landed harshly with tires squealing with the pressure of the brake pads on the large rubber circles. Tying the scarf she had shoved into her back jeans pocket behind her ears, then tying the loose pointed end into the rest, her hair was neatly secured and covered as she walked off the plane towards the baggage claim. Things looked different in this airport than it had in the one she left from, and she hauled the bag from the conveyer belt and walked to the front doors where the car and a familiar face would be waiting for her.

            Her face broke into an involuntary smile as she spotted the rumbling 1956 Corvette, and the man sitting in the sun in the drivers' seat. She hurried over to him, giving him a kiss on the cheek and a hug.

            "Does this mean I have bragging rights?" he popped the trunk so she could place her bag inside before she sat on the white leather seat, heated from the hot sun to the point of scalding.

            "Bragging rights?"

            He pulled out of the parking spot, "your mother tells me you haven't smiled like that in a while now."

            She went quite, staring out at the road as they passed field upon field by, knowing he wouldn't press the subject if she remained silent. Her eyes danced as she saw the foals out to play with their mothers in the pastures; frolicking along before they knew what was happening and were being weaned from their mothers.

            Leaning her head back, she watched the sun play through the tree branches that lined the road up to the old Victorian house where she would be living for, what she had said as an _unknown amount of time_. And while the car was stopping, and the horn tooted, a woman came out of the house as quick as she could to greet her with a strong hug.

            "Oh, you look lovely, dear! Are you hungry? Oh how silly of me, of course you are!"

            She smiled small at the woman, "I'm really just tired, Grams. Would you mind terribly if I just went off to bed?"

            "I wouldn't mind at all, dear. Off to bed then! Ed! Oh where _is_ that man?" the old woman bustled back into the house as she slowly walked up the porch steps, turning around to look at the land before walking inside and up the stairs to the room she had always slept in when visiting.

~~*~~

            She woke the next – looking quickly to the clock next to her on the night table – afternoon to the sound of a metal bar being thrown about in the equally metal triangle on the porch. It must be time for lunch, she thought to herself as she pushed off the quilted comforter and slid out of the large bed. Making the bed quickly, she grabbed her jean cut-offs and blue tank, as well as fresh undergarments, from her still packed suitcase and padded to the bathroom adjoining her room for a much-needed shower.

            "Well, afternoon, Sunshine!" her grandfather greeted cheerfully as she made her presence known by the thump of her shoes on the stairs as she walked down to the kitchen.

            "Hi, Grandpa," she replied as she fell into the wooden chair opposite him. Her plate was instantly filled with a sub sandwich and glass filled up with ice cold milk by her grandmother who winked before turning to return the milk to the fridge. She bit hungrily into the sandwich; finishing it within the time her grandfather had taken three bites of his. Her eyes darted around as if there would be someone there to laugh at how quickly she had eaten her food, but she was just met with the conversation of her grandparents.

            "Is it alright if I go to the river?"

            Edward looked at her with a grin, "why don't you take Prancer out for a hack while you go?"

            She nodded and went through the back door towards the barn housing the horses and opened the large sliding doors to be greeted with the whinnies of the many equines housed there. Stopping off at the tack room first, she grabbed the saddle and bridle labeled _Prancer_ off their hooks and walked towards one of the furthest stalls. She set the saddle over the stall door, opening it as she did with a warm welcome to the large chestnut mare. Quickly placing the bridle in place, she gave her a quick brush down with the soft comb and then placed the saddle and its pad on her withers.

            "You haven't been out lately, have you, Prancer?" she murmured as she led her out of the stall and barn before mounting up with the aide of the cinderblocks set near the first paddock for that very reason. She turned the mare around before trotting her through the fence opening that would take her on the trail towards the part of the river that ran through her grandparents land.

            "What d'you think I should do, Prancer? Should I mope about for the rest of the summer?" she leaned to look the mare in her right eye. "You think I should just get over him?" Prancer tossed her head, snorting as if to say yes, causing her to laugh. "Get over him it is! You just have no idea what it's going to be like . . ."

            She clicked her tongue twice and tapped Prancers' sides with her heels for a canter as they came out of the trees. The clear, sparkling river was two hundred yards ahead of them, reflecting the sun sharply. Her face broke into an involuntary smile as they cantered to it, and she was slowing Prancer and hopping out of the saddle before she even realized they were at the river.

            Wrapping the reins around the horn, she let Prancer wander down to the river for some water, and then back up to munch on the tall grass as she took off her shoes and dabbled her feet up the ankle from the first level of the Jumping Rock. Leaning back on her hands, she sighed and closed her eyes to the sun. "Well, I may get over him, Prancer, but that doesn't mean I have to believe in love. Or fall again for that matter. Right?"

            Prancer only looked up briefly at her before putting her head back to the grass.

~~*~~

            Edward stood up as he heard the knocking and made his way towards the front porch. Through the screen, he squinted at the gentleman. "What can I do you for?"

            "I was wondering, sir, if you would be willing to let me work here?"

            Edward opened the screen door with one hand, confusion on his face. "What'd you say, son?"

            "Who's there, Edward?"

            He turned his head back inside, "a boy asking for a job."

            She walked to the door, giving her husband a disapproving look. "Why don't you come in, honey, you look like you could use some food in your belly." Once he was sitting at the table, with a sandwich in front of him, she sat down at the head of the table. "Now what's this about needing a job?"

            He swallowed the food in his mouth. "I haven't got anywhere to go, ma'am. I figured that I could do some work around here to get some money saved up for school."

            "Have you got a place to stay?"

            He shook his head no, taking another bit of the sandwich. His eyes darted back and forth between the old couple. "The only thing I've got with me are clothes and the car my mother had ready for me when I got here."

            "Your mother? Why can't you stay with her?" Edward spoke up at the words.

            He looked to the old man, "she doesn't live here. She sent me here to get me away from my father; arranged for me to have just enough cash to get new clothes and that car out there."

            The old woman's eyes softened, "and you haven't got a bank account you can access anywhere?"

            "I do, ma'am, but I am under strict orders that I mustn't touch it until summer ends – that's when I'll be off for University."

            Edward scowled a little, then a look from his wife made his face clear up. "Why are you on the run from your father, son?"

            He glanced his way again, "I mean not to be rude sir, but I came here looking for a job, not the Spanish Inquisition."

            Smacking his hand on the table in a touché fashion, "well then! Can you lift heavy bales? Put up with unruly horses? Do other odds and ends at a farm establishment?"

            "I'm hoping so," he answered with a small held-in sigh.

            "Well, then you'll be living here in the house while you do your work. Up and ready at five every morning, I'll have my granddaughter show you the ropes until you get the hang of it. Lunch is whenever you hear that triangle out there ringing, and the same with dinner. Always keep a water canteen near you, it's a scorching summer out there this year." Edward nodded to himself as he ticked off the guidelines in his head.

            "Isabelle, why don't you show him a room he can stay in, I've got some work to finish."

            Isabelle stood and kissed her husbands' balding head before waving a hand at the boy to let him know he was to follow her. "Don't worry about having to wake up early tomorrow, honey, you look like you could use a good nights sleep on your shoulders."

            "Thank you, ma'am," he replied with his manners, grateful for a bed and a full nights sleep.

            "None of that ma'am and sir nonsense. Just call us Isabelle and Edward, shorten them however you want, we've had the plethora of nicknames in our lives." She opened the door to a large bedroom and let him go inside. "This will be your room for the summer, bathroom is at the end of the hall, you can't miss it. Now, head off to bed, honey, you need a good sleep. And by the way, what's your name?"

            "My name?"

            "That is what I asked you."

            "It's Draco. Draco Malfoy."

            She nodded as if she knew something he didn't, then gave him a wink and shut the door. Walking down the hall, she chuckled to herself quietly.

            Sunshine was going to have a fit.

~~*~~

            I'm hoping that you all realize this is very AU. If you don't, you obviously don't know much about the Harry Potter world, do you? Lemme know what you think!


	2. Chapter Two

That's How You Know

~~*~~

Chapter Two__

            She pulled herself onto Prancers' back, swinging her right leg over the saddle and hooking it in the stirrup. "About time we go back, you think?" she asked the mare before clicking her tongue and setting off at a canter once more. She settled into the fast pace quickly, watching the surroundings around her, knowing Prancer would watch in front of them. 

            Her eyes were forced to look forward when Prancer balked sharply, causing her to pitch forward on her neck. "Prancer!" she started to scold until Prancer reared up and she had to grab handfuls of mane to stay on. Steadying the antsy mare, she turned her round to see a large black stallion standing in their way. "Oh wow . . ." she murmured to herself as she urged Prancer into a walk, but the stallion bolted before they could get close to it.

            "D'you know that guy, Prancer?" she urged her into a gallop to get them home faster, wondering if it was one of her grandfathers' stallions escaped from the paddocks. When she got to the barn, her eyes scanned for her grandfather, walking around the grounds to cool Prancer as she did.

            "Hey, Sunshine!"

            She turned around, hopping out of the saddle and tying the reins to a post so she could wash Prancer of the sweat. "Hey Grandpa! D'you get a new stallion?"

            Edward looked up, "why d'you ask, Sunshine?"

            "Because Prancer spooked when we saw a big black stallion on the trail, I thought he might be yours, escaped from a paddock or something." She wiped the sweat strap across Prancers back and sides. "He was so beautiful, Grandpa."

            He walked up to her, patting Prancer on the neck, "not my horse. It might be the stallion I saw a few days back though. Wild horse, I believe. I was waiting for you to come round before I tried to rope and tame him."

            "But Grandpa! He's too beautiful to tame up!"

            "Yeah, but not too beautiful to be eating all the hay I set out for Delia in her paddock," Edward replied with a sour look. "If you don't help me, I'll get the new boy to help."

            She shot him a confused look over her shoulder as she led Prancer to the nearest paddock, "what new boy?"

            Edward grabbed the saddle and bridle from the fence, "came up to the door askin' for a job. Your Grams took pity on him and said he could stay. He'll be with you until he knows what to do."

            "Me?"

            "I don't have enough time to spare teachin' him the ropes, Sunshine. And besides, he'll be taking over most of your chores now that he needs the money for University."

            She nodded, rolling her eyes just a bit. "I'll see you at dinner, Grandpa," and she waved goodbye to him as she walked in the back door. "Grams?"

            "In here honey."

            "Who's the new boy Grandpa hired?" she leaned on the doorframe, feeling sweaty and dirty from her ride. Her grams had that mischievous twinkle in her eyes when she looked at her. "Spill it, Grams."

            Isabelle laughed, "he's a sweet boy. His name is Draco Malfoy."

            "Malfoy!" she stood up straight in surprise.

            "Yes, honey."

            "Malfoy?" she asked again, "what's a Malfoy doing here?"

            Isabelle smiled, "he's just here to get some money for University, honey. Don't you worry."

            "Grams, you don't know this kid. He's trouble and a menace to all of us back home," she protested.

            The twinkle was replaced with scorn. "I don't ever want to hear that from you again, missy. Draco is in trouble with his father, and we're going to house him for the summer. You will accept that, you hear?"

            "Yes, ma'am."

            "Now go get cleaned up for dinner, and be quite, Draco is sleeping right now."

            "Yes, ma'am," she trudged up the stairs. Why did Malfoy have to come and ruin her already ruined summer? And worse yet, she had to spend at least three days, if he learned fast, with him until he knew what he was to do on the farm. This was going to be an eventful summer for sure.

~~*~~

            Draco made his way downstairs after a shower round one that afternoon to be greeted with a sandwich and the couple he had met just yesterday. "Afternoon, ma'am, sir."

            "Now what did I tell you, honey?" Isabelle stood with her hands on her wide hips, giving him a mock stern look.

            "Afternoon, Isabelle, Edward," he fixed his greeting before biting into the sandwich.

            "Grandpa, are you ready yet? I've got Prancer and Comanche tacked up and ready to go," she called from the back porch.

            Isabelle looked at her husband, "now where do you two think you're going?"

            "To rope in that stallion. He's still on the land," Edward replied as he wiped his mouth with the cloth napkin and placed it back on his plate. "We should be back by dinner. Why don't you and the boy go into town and get the things on our lists?"

            Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. "Well, get going then. And if you're not back by dinner – you're going hungry!"

            "You wouldn't do that to _me_, would you Grams?"

            Draco looked up to see the pouting face of a girl staring at the old woman from under a cowboy hat, her hair tied up behind her head with a scarf.

            "Only your Grandfather, honey. Don't you worry – I wouldn't _dare_ make you even skinner than you are."

            Sticking her tongue out at her Grams, she winked and left the house behind her Grandfather.

            "She's the one that supposed to teach me how to do everything?" Draco said disbelievingly. 

            Isabelle laughed heartily, "don't you worry, honey. There isn't much that she can't do round here. She only _looks_ like she's a weak girl."

            "Bye, Grams!" she called as her grandfather led the way out of the yard at a canter. She smiled over at her grandfather, knowing that soon enough she would catch his attention.

            Edward did indeed look over at his granddaughter. "Now what is with that look, Sunshine? You're Grams was giving me the same one since last night. What do you two know that I don't?"

            She grinned mischievously. "You don't know who you hired, d'you?" As much as she disliked him, it was still more fun to tease her grandpa about it. Especially knowing that if he even tried to kick Draco out of the house, he himself would be sleeping in the barns until he brought Draco back.

            Edward looked thoughtful for a moment, "well, no I don't actually."

            "You've hired a Malfoy, Grandpa. Draco Malfoy, to be exact."

            "I've what?!" he roared, startling the horses briefly.

            She laughed at him. "Don't even think of kicking him out. Grams'll have you out in that barn before you can say your reasons." She heard him mumble something and grunt in annoyance before stopping Prancer. "Look, Grandpa!"

            They watched the large black rear up at the sight of them, and then stare straight at them in defiance. It was almost as if he knew what they were coming for, and he was going to give them the fight of their lives.

            "You chase him into that wooded area over to his right, there is a makeshift corral there. I'll rope him up first – then you get him. Deal?"

            She nodded her head and started off at a slow trot, pretending like she wasn't going to come near the stallion as he reared up once more. She was only twenty yards from him before she kicked Prancer into a gallop and chased the stallion just as they had suspected into the woods. She could hear her grandpa close behind her, and shifted back and forth to keep the stallion from turning round and running past her.

            She heard the smack of wood on wood as her grandpa entered the corral and shut the gate. He swung his lasso about his head, throwing it with expertise at the stallions' neck while she went for the foreleg. Sliding off Prancers' back, she ran around and looped the rope on the stallions back leg, bringing him down slowly as her grandpa held him down with a knee on his neck.

            "Nice, Sunshine. Now lets get him used to us before we take him back home."

            "Grandpa, why are we breaking him?"

            "It's just one of those things you have to do, Sunshine. With horses like him, eating your hay and such, you either break 'em, or shoot 'em."

            She stared at her grandpa in shock, "you wouldn't shoot him, would you?"

            "I'm not inhumane, Sunshine," he scolded lightly. "Now, you going to talk to an old man about all this moping about?" he asked as they led the stallion back to the small enclosed ring on near the barns.

            "What's there to talk about?" she looked back at the irate horse to avoid eye contact. "Grandpa, it has been – what? All of five days? – since the first, and what I thought would be the only love, of my life gave me the worst surprise I've ever had. I think that entitles a bit of _moping about_."

            Edward remained quiet as they led the stallion into the enclosed ring. Sliding off his rope, he took himself and Prancer out, watching carefully as his granddaughter slowly worked her rope looser, then walked backwards towards the closed gate and slipped through the bars.

            "He's taking this all quite superb, don't you think?"

            He was about to speak when the stallion bolted towards the gate, then turned sharply towards to gallop quickly in the enclosed space.

            "I spoke too soon. Well, lets go untack, Grandpa, or you'll be starving tonight."

            The old man chuckled as he loosened the girth and slipped the saddle off to brush down Comanche.

            "Grandpa?" she stopped in front of Comanches' stall, saddle resting atop her forearms. "I want to try breaking him on my own."

            "I'll just watch then."

            She gave him a dubious look. "And stay quiet?"

            Edward mimicked zipping up his lips as he exited the stall with the leather saddle on an arm, putting the other around her shoulders. They set their saddles on the right posts and he smiled down at her, "now, lets go get something in our bellies."

            "Okay, Grandpa." She slid her hat off her head as they entered the mudroom and slipped off her boots. "Are we in time –" she stopped short at the site in front of her. Draco Malfoy was _not_ setting the table . . . Was he?

            Isabelle smiled as she set the food on the table. "You're a dear, Draco, thank you."

            She wanted to faint. _Dear _and _Draco _didn't belong together in the same sentence. Sitting down cautiously across from him, she forced herself not to stare. She stayed out of the dinner conversation thinking of her earlier words to her grandfather.

            "May I be excused, Grams?" she gave a pleading look to the woman.

            Isabelle knew that look anywhere and gave a small smile, "go on, Sunshine."

            Draco watched as the young girl stood and made her way out of the room quickly. Nickname or not, she didn't seem too sunshine-like.

            "Don't think I'm letting you sleep in tomorrow, son. We've got more work on our hands now with the new stallion."

            "Yes, sir," he replied before excusing himself to get to bed early. He made his way up the stairs, quietly walking to his room. He stopped in front of what he knew was her bedroom door, listening to the soft sobbing noise that was emitting from behind the wooden door.

            Draco closed his bedroom door soundlessly. Why was she crying? What on earth did she have to cry about?

~~*~~

            I love me . . . ?


	3. Chapter Three

That's How You Know

~~*~~

Chapter Three__

             "Wake up, Sparky," she prodded his side once more before finally getting a reaction out of him. It was a grunt, but at least it was a reaction. "I'm not telling you again: get up!" she grabbed the bottom of the mattress and lifted it harshly, causing him to tumble from the bed to the floor with a loud thud.

            Edward looked up at the kitchen ceiling, "guess she woke him up." He sipped at his coffee calmly as he scanned the newspaper while Isabelle smiled to herself.

            "What was that for?" Draco stood up, yelling loudly and angrily.

            She stood with her hands on her hips, trying not to laugh at him. "You're going to have to learn to wake up in the mornings. I'm just getting you used to what it will be like if you don't stop ignoring your damn alarm clock!" throwing a pair of Levi's and a white shirt at his head, she walked out of the room. "Get your butt moving, we have a lot of work to do!"

            Draco mumbled rude words at her back as he pulled on the pants over his boxers and slipped the shirt on. He was pulling down the hem as he walked into the bathroom and woke himself up more with a splash of cold water on his face. He thudded heavily down the back staircase to the kitchen and sat down at the table with a scratchy voice greeting to the couple.

            "Eggs, Draco?" Isabelle asked as if she hadn't heard the rude awakening. She shoved some onto his plate before he could answer, and lifted some bacon on with a fork. "You'll get used to the early rising soon, honey, don't you worry."

            Edward winked at his granddaughter who smothered a smirk by placing some bacon in her mouth. "What are you going to be doing today, Grandpa?"

            "I'm heading out to the north pasture. There is about five miles of fence that was blown out in the last storm that needs repairing. You?"

            She stood up from the table, motioning for Draco to do that same and grinned, "teaching Draco here the ropes. Going to try the stallion after lunch though."

            Isabelle smiled, kissing her granddaughter on the cheek. "Have a good day," whispering into her ear, "and be nice, Sunshine."

            "Well, let's get to work!" she slipped on her boots, lacing them quickly in the mudroom before walking through the screen door. She lifted the latch on one of the large doors to the barn, "open the other one, secure it with that hook," she told him, liking being able to boss him about already.

            Draco followed her into the barn where she handed him a pitchfork and pointed to a wheelbarrow. "I'm going to take all the horses that can go out and put them in paddocks. You're going to muck out their stalls." She started towards Peppers' stall when she turned to see him still standing there. "Well? What are you waiting for? The stalls to muck themselves out?"

            He opened his mouth, but closed it knowing that it would seem strange to these Muggles if he didn't know how to muck a stall out.

            She rolled her eyes and grabbed the pitchfork from his hands. "I'm only showing you once, so you better learn it fast." Lifting the latch, she grabbed Peppers' halter and led her out of the stall, fastening the thin straps that came from either side to the aisle to her halter. "Bring that wheelbarrow over here," she watched him glance at the barrow, then push it towards her.

            "Now, you take the pitchfork, then you scoop up the dirty straw, and then you put it in the wheelbarrow. Once it's full, you just cart it out those doors and to your right. There's a pile of it already there, so it's hard to miss."  

            Draco nodded, taking the pitchfork back from her.

            "And when you've done all the stalls, I'll show you where the fresh stuff is, alright?" she turned without waiting for his response and led Pepper outside. She stopped occasionally as she led the horses outside to see how he was doing, and she had to say that at least he caught on, and worked, quickly.

            "Where's the –" Draco stopped midstream, momentarily stunned by the sight of her lifting a large rectangular bale and walking towards him like it was nothing.

            She set the bale down at his feet. "This is the fresh straw, obviously. Cut the twine once you've put it in the wheelbarrow and just fork it out into the stalls. Make sure that there is enough to cover the entire stall."

            "What are you going to do?" he demanded as she walked back up the aisle.

            Not bothering to turn around, "I'm going to get more bales. Now get to work, Sparky. It took you _far_ too long mucking out those stalls and now we're behind."

            Draco controlled his words as he turned around and pitched some straw into the first stall. He saw her come back in every two minutes with another bale until she finally stopped to grab another wheelbarrow and pitchfork. "What are you doing?"

            "You ask a lot of questions, Sparky," she replied before pitching straw expertly into a stall without taking her eyes off him. "But you look like a boy who might need the help with this answer: I'm putting fresh straw into the stall."

            Glaring, he turned his back to her again and continued his work, never knowing that she was smirking with success behind him. He stopped ten minutes later, done with his side just seconds before she was done with hers'. "Now what?"

            "Now we set up the ring."

            "Pardon?"

            She led him outside to a shed and opened the doors. "We set up the ring." Handing him a multi-colored pole, and grabbing one herself, she led him to the large ring to the left of them. "See, what my grandparents do, is train up horses for equestrian purposes."

            "Equestrian purposes?"

            Setting the pole in the notches, she took the other from his hands and crisscrossed it with the one she had set up. "Show jumping, dressage, and cross country."

            Draco followed her back to the shed and took up two more poles while she took one heavier one. He set them up how she told him to, then stood back to see what it looked like once they had finished. Turning to look at her, he found her missing.

            "Draco!" she called from inside the barn. Holding onto the saddle, she waited for the blonde boy to get to the stall. "Come in here and watch what I do. I'm going to need you to tack up three other horses while I'm out there, so you're going to have to learn fast."

            He watched her slid on the bridle, slipping the bit into the colts' mouth before tightening the straps. She did it slowly so that he would take note of everything before moving onto the saddle.

            "You'll have to brush them down before you put the saddle on, but I've already done that with Shady. I've already made sure that their hooves are clean, but this is how you do it anyway." She took the sharp tool from the tack box and slid her hand down Shady's foreleg. Holding the hoof, making sure that Draco could see, she scrapped the small bit of stall debris that was left in the hoof out. "Make sure not to scrape the frog, that's this soft bit here, or you'll wish you hadn't." She led the colt out of the stall, leaving him to fend for himself on tacking the other three on his own.

Draco stared after her before walking to the nearest stall and brushing down the filly before slipping on her saddle and bridle. By the third horse, it was becoming easier for him to tack up the horses and he led them outside to tie up on the fence.

            She dismounted from Shady and handed him over as she took Delia's reins from his hand. "Untack him, then hose him off over there," she pointed behind him to the cement area with hoses. "Make sure to get all the dirt off him and clean out his hooves, then get all the excess water off him with that black strap and let him loose in the paddock with the two black horses. And don't you dare spray warm water on the legs. Got all that, Sparky?"

            Jaw rolling; he walked away without telling her anything. That nickname was getting very annoying very quickly. He did as she had instructed quickly and efficiently before walking back to the fence, his front covered in water from Shady thinking it would be fun to grab the hose in his teeth and spray him.

            He rested his arms on the top rail, watching as she cantered around the ring towards the oxer. She lifted herself from the saddle, leaning forward on Delia's withers as they went over the two foot oxer easily. She slowed her to a walk, checking her occasionally to keep her from getting lazy, three times around the ring before handing her off to Draco. It wasn't until the last horse, a mare by the name of Midnights' Star, that she actually spoke to him again.

            "Raise all of the poles two notches, Draco," she ordered as she mounted up and trotted around the ring. He felt oddly like he was slave while he raised each jump to four feet high. "Star here is for more advanced students. She's going off to be a back up horse for an Olympic bound rider in two days. But we're just keeping her lively with these smaller jumps."

            He exited the ring and watched as she set herself and the horse up for the triple, performing it with poise he hadn't figured she had with all the things she had done so far that morning. "How high can she jump?"

            She dismounted, taking off the saddle once she had, "Star? See that old truck out there in the field?" Draco nodded, wondering what that had to do with anything. "That's her favorite jump. It's for the cross-country course. Right over the truck bed – five feet wide, five feet high." Draco masked his surprise at the revelation as they washed the mare together.

            "Why are you here, Draco?"

            Draco looked over the mares back at the young woman leading the horse to the paddock. "Pardon me?"

            She gave him a _what are you up to_ look when she had closed the gate. "Why are you here?"

            "I need money for University."

            "Right."

            "You don't believe me?"

            She looked over her shoulder, "no, I don't. I know for a fact that your family happens to have a great sum of money. In fact, you made it a point to let everyone know you had money while at school."

            "How do you know that?" Draco was instantly suspicious. How did a Muggle know about anything he would have said at school half a world away?

            She lifted an eyebrow, "you can honestly say that you don't know who I am?" Wearing the scarf over her hair didn't make a drastic change to her looks; she knew that for a fact. How could he not know her?

            "I can honestly say that I don't know who you are," he gritted through clenched teeth. He was beginning to get annoyed that she was playing these games.

            "Lunch!" Isabelle rang the triangle loudly, knowing that it would reach her husbands ears in the north pasture if he hadn't turned on the truck radio. She smiled at her granddaughter and Draco as they made their way inside. "I see Sunshine put you to hard work, Draco."

            Draco forced himself to be pleasant in his replies to the woman during the afternoon break. He couldn't remember ever feeling this grimy and dirty after doing anything in his life. Not even after playing Quidditch out in the mud!

            "Meet me out by that enclosed ring, Draco. You're going to help me work with the stallion." She stood after finishing her food quickly only to be greeted by her grandfather, finally there from the north pasture.

            "Now what did I tell you, Missy? You're not going anywhere near that horse unless Draco or myself is out there watching you. Got that?"

            She put a hand on her hip, "you told me that I could break him myself, actually. And I'm going out there now, so just sit down and have some food. You look hungry."

            Draco got out of his seat when he saw the old man scowl and waited for her signal to leave the room.

            "See, Draco is now following me like you would have, Grandpa. Can I go now?"

            "Keep sassing me like that, young lady –"

            She winked, "you know I will. See you when you finish, Grandpa!" and with Draco following her, she made her way out to the enclosed ring where the stallion stood staring out at them with his black eyes. Grabbing a halter, she slipped through the bars and made her way slowly over to the male.

            "What are you doing?"

            "I'm going to try to put him in a halter. He's a wild horse, so he hasn't ever had one put on him," she explained as she held out her hand to him.

            Draco watched her as she walked slowly towards the horse that was staring at her, one ear flattened against his head, the other pointing up.

            "Hey there, big guy. I'm not going to hurt you," she said soothingly. "I'm not going to hurt you," she murmured again. When the second ear flattened against his head, she stopped walking. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you, big guy."

            Draco slipped through the bars himself, taking some of the stallions focus off her momentarily. He walked along the wall, noting the horse following him with one eye.

            "Get out of here, Draco. It's only going to –" she stopped as the stallion sorted and hit the ground with his front hoof. "It's okay, big guy." She stepped forward one step, causing him to strike the ground once more.

            Draco walked away from the wall slowly, still in the horses' vision but obviously not a main concern. "I think we should get out of here."

            "It's okay," she soothed, taking another step. This time the stallion charged at her instead of staying his ground. She jumped from his path in time, but was only charged at again before Draco pulled her from the path, both of them falling to the ground near the wall once more. He picked her up when he got his air back, and put her through the bars, diving out just as the stallion made another circuit around the ring.

            "Are you okay?" he asked as he sat back up, leaning over to lift her up with him.

            She stared at the hand on her arm. "Yeah. Fine. Why did you do that?"

            "Next time I'll leave you to be trampled then," he said in a confused voice, not understanding her question.

            She turned to him in disbelief, "but you're a Malfoy."

            "Just because Malfoy is my name doesn't mean a damn thing," Draco said bitterly as he let her arm drop and walked to the house, letting the door slam loudly in his wake.

~~*~~

            Y'know, I just realized that you guys haven't a clue as to who the girl is. That just makes it more fun for me!


	4. Chapter Four

That's How You Know

~~*~~

Chapter Four__

            Draco knocked softly on the bedroom door before opening it to stick his head in. This time he was going to give her the rude awakening. He closed the door behind him, glancing about the room as he walked over to her bed quietly, and that was when he heard it. The soft sobbing noise again. He could see her back shaking as he walked to the edge of the bed to give her a poke in the side. Walking around the bed, he got in front of her and shook her shoulder.

            Sitting up quickly with a gasp, she stared at him. "What are you doing in here?" she wiped the heel of her hand across her eyes and cheeks, glaring up at him. "What are you doing in my room, Draco?"

            He stared at her tearstained cheeks before looking up at her eyes, "I came to wake you."

            "Get out," she ordered, not looking at him as he walked out of the room. Her hands came back up to her face as she started into a fresh round of tears. She had thought it was him, coming back to apologize and tell her that he would always loved her. That he would never leave her again. But it had just been Draco . . .

            Draco stood outside her door, listening to the sobs before turning away and walking downstairs. It wasn't his business to know why she was crying.

            Dressing quickly, she made sure to wash her face off before going downstairs to face the world again with false cheerfulness. "Morning!" she smiled at her grandparents as she entered the kitchen and sat down to eat a small breakfast.

            "Hi Sunshine," Edward smiled from behind his newspaper before setting it down and standing up. "I'm off. Oh, and Sunshine?"

She looked up, bacon hanging from her mouth.

            "Your Grams and I are going to be gone this coming weekend, taking Star to his new owners, alright?"

            She nodded her head, "are you leaving tonight, then?"

            "Yep. So you two will be on your own. I trust you know what to do without me." He looked at the two waiting for one of them to give him a confirmation.

            "Don't worry about a thing, Grandpa," she scooped eggs into her mouth before wiping the napkin across her lips. "Did you get that fence finished?"

            Edward shook his head, placing a cowboy hat atop it, "that's where I'm going right now."

            Draco stood and head out the back door after him, nodding his head towards Isabelle before shutting the door. The two women watched as he went to the barn doors, opened them and then disappeared behind the barn.

            "You going to get those horses out of that barn or not, Sunshine?" Isabelle smiled knowingly at her granddaughter.

            "What are you smiling at? Where is he going? He has to clean out the stalls!" she handed her plate over and walked out the back door to get Delia, Shady and Melodic groomed and tacked for their workouts. She couldn't spot Draco anywhere in the barn as she led the horses that would go out into their respective pastures.

            She led the three horses out of the barn by their reins once they were tacked, ready to tie them to the fence, find Draco and give him an earful about how the stalls weren't mucked out yet. But she stopped when she saw the course set up already in the practice ring. Turning around quickly, she saw him making his way up the aisle with the wheelbarrow full of dirty straw.

            Shady snorted, tossing his head in impatience until she put him into a trot and took him through the five-jump course. "Lift, Shady," she said once she had stopped and watched the colt lift his right foreleg. "One, two, three," she watched him strike the ground at her command. "Alright, let's do some dressage and then I'm putting you away," she murmured as she led him to an empty ring set up with large orange cones with letters or the alphabet on them.

            Going over the course in her head, she led and signaled Shady to every cone, sometimes just going past one. It was a five-minute course she had picked out, and when she was done, Shady was feeling very uppity.

            "Alright, time for you to cool down," she told the colt as he snorted. "What? You want to go through the jumps again?" Shady tossed his head and she shrugged, "you're the boss." She led him through the gate back to the jumping ring and cantered him through the course once more before handing him off to an expectant Draco.

            While moving each jump up a notch, her attention was turned to watch the red sports car driving up the way. The horn tooted a little ditty causing her to groan as she realized who would be coming out of that car. She mounted up onto Delia's back and took her at a trot around the ring, taking her through the dressage first.

            "Well if it isn't Miss High-An-Mighty-England Herself!" the voice cried from the ringside. "What are you doing back here?"

            She executed the flying change without answering the girl. Cantering to C, then a sitting trot to F, she glanced over at the girl who was now wearing a scowl for being ignored.

            "Do you think you're the Queen of England up there or what?" the girl called again as she opened the gate for the horse and rider.

            "I _am_ the Queen of England, Kris," she replied in a fake superior voice as they went through the jumps.

            Kris tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder, "well, get your butt down from that throne and come talk to me! I haven't seen you in ages and you never write!"

            "That's because my form of post would give you a heart attack," she muttered to herself as she dismounted and handed the filly off to Draco again.

            Kris' green eyes flicked up and down Dracos' body as he walked past her with appreciation. Draco flashed her a charming smile that caused Kris' to giggle a bit and receive an eye roll from her friend. "Who's the hottie?"

            "Urg!" she got a leg up onto Melodic from Kris, who was still glancing every so often back at Draco. "He's just a new stable hand, Kris. Nothing special about him."

            "Except that he is seriously hot!" Kris replied with a grin. "You can't tell me that you're not attracted to him and look me in the eye, can you?"

            She looked Kris in the eye, "I'm not attracted to him," she said seriously and then led the mare into the jumping ring and took her on the course.

            "You're just in denial!"

            "And you're just a silly girl!" she replied as they went through the triple and stopped near her. "I went to school with him, he's a jerk. Trust me."

            "Denial!"

            "Silly girl!"

            "Denial!" Kris laughed as she saw the infamous eye roll. "Now are you going to tell me what brought you back here? I can tell that this isn't a normal visit."

            She shook her head and walked over to the hoses, waving Draco off. "And you wonder why I never call you when I get back? You probably already know why I'm here – in fact, I'm sure you do."

            "You've decided to become a nun, haven't you?"

            "What?!" she blinked at her friend. "A nun?"

            Kris shrugged as she wiped down Melodics' left side. "Well, he broke your heart and now you don't want to ever fall in love again. Your only choice is to become a nun."

            "I _won't_ fall in love again, Kris. There is no such thing as _love,_" she replied bitterly as she led Melodic out to her pasture away from the other mares.

            The blonde girl shook her head disbelievingly, "he really did a number on you, didn't he?"

            "Just drop the subject, Kris!" she went to grab the same halter from yesterday only to find it missing. Thinking that maybe she had left it near the enclosed ring, walked out of the barn once more.

            Kris sighed heavily. "Well, at any rate, I came out here to tell you that there is going to be a party down at Jumping Rock tonight. And you're coming."

            "No."

            "Yes! I'll be back here at eight to walk out there with you. We should bring your new boy – he's so cute."

            "Oh for bloody sake," she muttered as she walked up to the gate. "Bye, Kris," she dismissed the girl without giving her answer, knowing that whatever she said, the girl would be back at eight anyway.

            "Bye!" Kris waved over her shoulder.

            When she did get to the gate, what she saw made her jaw drop in utter surprise. What the hell did he think he was doing?

            "I'm not here to hurt you. Just want a little conversation, y'know?" Draco murmured to the horse.

            The stallion walked a step towards him, nostrils flared out.

            "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to put the halter on you . . ." he reached backwards and grabbed it slowly off the bar and held it in front of him. "See, it doesn't bite. It's just going to go over your head," he said slowly as he took a step towards him, stopping when he blew air out of his nose. Draco tossed the halter onto the ground near his feet, causing him to step backwards as he sat down in the dirt and waited.

            The stallion watched him with his eyes as he leaned down and nosed at the halter. He snorted and looked up at Draco. He just sat there, hands folded in his lap waiting for him to make the first move. The stallion sniffed at the halter once more before grabbing it in his teeth.

            "What? It's not a chew toy," he told the horse as he chomped on the halter, for which he wished he wouldn't chew a hole in it. The stallion rolled his eyes towards him, taking a small step. "You want me to put that on you yet?"

            He stared at Draco, walking another step towards him. He tossed his head, letting go of the halter as he did. Draco caught the headpiece with both hands, setting it down in his lap and untangling it, pretending not to pay attention to the curious stallion. He bobbed his head a bit to a tune as he worked, watching the stallions every move as he took three more steps towards him.

            "You want a carrot?" he held out the orange vegetable to the stallion, who eyed it curiously. He broke off a piece of it, tossing it to his feet. Snapping off another, smaller piece for himself, he crunched it loudly in his mouth. "Mmm, good carrot. Are you going to eat your piece?"

            The black leaned his head down, lipping up the carrot and crunching it just as loudly as he had.

            "Ah, so you do like it," he snapped off another piece and tossed it closer to himself, repeating the action until he was two feet in front of him. "You want the rest?" he held it out in his palm, waiting for him to take it. The stallion snorted, striking the ground lightly with his hoof before taking a step forward and stretching out his neck to take the carrot from him.

            Draco stood up slowly, letting him watch his every move and took another carrot from his pocket. "I'll make you a deal. You let me put this halter on you, and I'll let you have this carrot all to yourself."

            The stallion tossed his head, reaching for the carrot that he took out of his reach just in time.

            "Ah, ah, ah. Do we have a deal?" he slipped the carrot into his pocket and held the halter out to him. The stallion dropped his head slightly, letting him slide the halter over his ears, taking the whole process slowly as he hooked the second strap into place.

            "See, that wasn't so bad," he murmured as he broke the carrot into the small pieces and held them out to him. Walking slowly towards the side of the ring, he grabbed the lunging line from the outside wall and held it out to him. "It's nothing. Just like the halter," Draco reassured the stallion as he hooked it onto his new halter.

            The stallion tossed his head up, seemingly happy with being able to still move his head around, but rubbing the halter against his foreleg.

            "It doesn't come off," he told him as he walked him around the ring. "Walk on," he said clearly as they did so, remembering what he had heard Edward telling a filly early that morning. "Trot," he said just as clearly as he began jogging around the ring, the stallion trotting as he did to keep up with the tugging on his head. Draco let out some of the lunge and stood in the center of the ring. Pulling on the lunge line, he spoke again, "walk on."

            Pulling his head up to get more line proved to be of no avail the stallion finally realized as he settled into the walk before being pulled to a stop.

            "I think we'll just end this on a good note, y'think?" he scratched his cheek as he unhooked the lunge line and gave him a last piece of carrot. "Maybe I can move you into a stall tomorrow. We'll see, though."

            She watched as Draco walked out of the ring, and slipped through the bars, hanging the line back on the hook from the view box above the ring. He was really good with that stallion. She didn't know if she would have thought to do something like that.

~~*~~

            "Bye Grandpa, Grams. Be safe!" she kissed them on the cheek as they gave her a goodbye hug. Draco watched them, wondering if they knew that she cried herself to sleep every night, because it seemed as if they didn't. He was taken by surprise when Isabelle enveloped him into a warm goodbye hug, telling him to have fun and be good while they were gone. He shook hands with Edward as he walked out the door, bags in one hand.

            "Be good you two, I don't want my farm in shambles when I get back!" he warned mockingly.

            "Bye!" she called once more before entering the house once more. She sat down at the table, sighing heavily as she thought about what she should wear tonight. "Draco?"

            "What?" he grunted out to her, stopping on the stairs.

            She looked up at him, "there's going to be a party out at Jumping Rock tonight. Kris will be here at eight to get me, so you might as well be ready yourself because she's going to force you to come too."

            "And if I say no? I'm tired of doing your every biding, that's not what I'm here for."

            She rolled her eyes, "Draco, whether you like it or not, you're not in England anymore. You can't just say that you're not going to do something and pull the spoiled little rich boy act here. This is a _farm_ you have to _work_, as hard as that may be for you to comprehend! So get all your arrogance out of the system right now and learn the damn meaning of a hard days work!"

            "You think I'm not working hard?" he asked angrily.

            "Honestly, I'm not sure!" she replied.

            "What?"

            She glared at him, waving her hands about in wild gestures. "You heard me! What reason do you have for working here? It's not like you need to know anything about hard work – not with your wand to do the Killing Curse for you just like your fathers' does!"

            He grabbed her by the upper arm and growled out, "how do you know about that?"

            She stared at him in disbelief. "Oh my god. You actually think I'm a Muggle, don't you?"

            "What?" he dropped her arm in surprise.

            "Bloody hell, Draco," she stared at him, "you have no clue who you're working under, do you?"

~~*~~

            I feel as if I should be giving a crazy laugh right about now. Ah, don't you just love my little cliffhangers and me. Well, all will be explained in due time.


End file.
